SB489 – Certification forms before an abortion: This bill requires physicians to give extensive (and sometimes inaccurate) information to a woman seeking an abortion. This bill is simply another barrier to safe and legal abortion – because since 1995 there are already an amazing 5 redundant laws in place regarding informed consent.

Two-thirds of women who get an abortion already have children. We’re pretty sure they know a LITTLE more about pregnancy than the male legislator who authored this redundant bill.

SB371 – Abortion inducing drugs: This bill requires non-surgical abortion sites to comply with the same corridor length, hallway width and sink standards that abortion sites follow. This bill limits access to safe and legal abortion under the guise of “patient safety.” If it becomes a law, non-surgical abortion providers, like PPIN of Lafayette, will have to change the physical layout of their entire family planning health center in order to legally administer a pill to someone who takes it and leaves the office.

To make matters worse, this only applies to “abortion clinics.” Other physicians’ offices are exempt from this requirement. If we’re really talking about patient safety, why isn’t the legislature requiring ALL physicians’ offices and health centers to follow the exact same legal guidelines before providing medication for a non-surgical abortion?

Today, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Indiana extends a THANK YOU to our champions for women’s health: Senators Becker, Breaux, Taylor, Mrvan and Stoops. In this morning’s committee hearing, these legislators opposed two bills that that clearly target access to safe and legal abortion and limit the reproductive rights of women. They asked their fellow legislators to consider the impacts that SB489 and SB371 will have on their constituents. They voted NO on these bills.

It’s clear that without your help we will not defeat SB489 or SB371. The full Senate has until Tuesday, February 26 to vote on these two bills before they are passed on to the House of Representatives. Please have those Virtual Lobby Day Action Toolkits on hand, pass the information on to your friends and neighbors, and get ready for step two of beating back this dangerous anti-women’s health legislation.

We also want to thank YOU for advocating for reproductive health care. Your emails, phone calls, Facebook statuses and Tweets during Virtual Lobby Day has so far resulted in over 1200 contacts to the Health and Provider Services Committee—an INCREDIBLE feat for such a last-minute and urgent matter.

Stay tuned in to PPAI as we continue the fight through the full Senate’s consideration of these bills. We’ll be pushing our legislators to keep their eyes on the prize – growing good jobs for Hoosiers – and we know you will be, too!